Camaro still on track, V6s to make up two-thirds of sales

Posted Jun 3rd 2008 3:31PM by Jeremy Korzeniewski
Filed under: Time Warp, Trends, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet

Click above for high-res gallery of the Camaro in many colors

The 2010 Chevy Camaro is a foregone conclusion. It's definitely coming on schedule and it will give GM's value division a credible competitor to the current generation Mustang and new Dodge Challenger. But, just because the Camaro of old is best remembered for its fire-breathing V8 engine options doesn't mean that a significant portion of sales won't be comprised of the somewhat less-hot V6 model. Rising gas prices will make sure of that point, and GM's execs know this fact just as well as we do. Mark LaNeve, GM's vice president of sales and marketing, is quoted on Inside Line as saying, "Everyone thinks we'll be positioning the Camaro as a burn-ass hot rod. But that's only about 30 percent of the business. The other two-thirds will come from 27-mpg V6 sales, with a significant female share."

This truth, in fact, mimics past Camaro and Mustang sales. Sure, a large portion of the past pony car segment was made up of the go-fast models, but the largest percentage of sales has always been of lesser performing and therefore less expensive models. As we've reported in the past, a four-cylinder model is also being considered, though that option is not yet ready for prime time, according to LaNeve. Not surprisingly, he also suggests that it's not just the Camaro that is likely to get smaller, more fuel efficient engine options. For our part, we'd gladly welcome GM's fine turbocharged, direct-inject Ecotec engine as an option in more models.